I have a Super C that has both a fast hitch and a trip bucket loader. When I bought it a little over a year ago the loader cylinders were set up to have up pressure only - no hoses were attached to the top, retract end of the cylinders -just vent plugs. There is an extra reservoir attached to the TC block, so when the cylinders are retracted the extra fluid has somewhere to go. I'm told this was common practice for farmalls with loaders.

I started running into trouble if I put the loader all the way up - it seemed that the cylinders needed more fluid when full than the regular and extra reservoirs could hold together, and the pump was sucking air. I would have no working hydraulics anywhere on the tractor. Lowering the bucket (with this loader set-up gravity would force the fluid back into the reservoirs) and waiting a minute or two, I assumed for the pump to re-prime, would fix all.

I decided to alter the system to give the bucket down pressure, assuming that this would sort of even up the fluid requirements for the bucket being up or down. Drained the system and added hoses, replaced the filter in the block and refilled. Started the bleeding procedure first with the two touch control rockshafts, and then with the fast hitch cyllinder. Everything seems fine. I try to put the bucket up, and nothing happens - though I figured out later that the hoses did fill, the cylinders, obviously didn't. I think, OK, probably I need to add more fluid, and yes, the system takes more fluid, but I now have no hydraulics anywhere. When I move any of the hydraulic controls, nothing happens - no noise, no engine laboring - nothing (the fast hitch was pulled down by gravity when its valve was opened).

All I can think is that either the pump is bad, or I have a big air bubble stuck somewhere in the system. I drained, checked the filter and refilled, but no luck. And these is no evidence of any hydraulic fluid gettig into the crankcase. Engine oil level has remained constant.

So I have 2 questions. 1. Are pump rebuild kits/parts available anywhere? I see you can get a complete new pump, but the nearly $700 price tag doesn't fit my budget!

2. Does anyone have any tricks for getting air out of the system? I've seen references to making sure the manifold tubes are full, but since the two lowest points on the tubes are the two ends, removing air is a mystery to me.

are you sure that the hydraulic cylinders ARE actually 2 way pistons? some pictures of the loader setup would be good, some of the cylinders just had fluid stored on the rod end of the cylinder, and probably shouldn't/wouldn't hold pressure. I'v never had any problem with absolutely no hydraulics on any of the 2 C's and SC I have, unless I'm out of hydraulic fluid, the Super C can be low on fluid and still not work period, while the C with the loader will just make the loader "shutter" because the pump in cavitating. you can buy hydraulic pump rebuild kits from and case/ih dealer I think, i'v ordered mine from cngco, contact them and give them the numbers off of your hydraulic pump, pretty easy job, i did mine in a few hrs with some distractions... I did have a problem at work with an H and cultivators, some how air got into one of the pistons for the cultivators, and locked up the piston at a certain length, after I fooled with it a while, and cracked the fittings and applied some pressure with the tractor running (rag covering the fittings) I got the air out, I really wouldn't suggest this unless you've done it, or at least familar with high pressure fluids